Arrangement related to inflatable life rafts

ABSTRACT

A life raft of the inflatable type comprising a circular shaped floating body of elastic material which may be inflated by a source of compressed air and in which a floor of elastic material is stretched over the inner opening of the circular body. The raft is provided with a canopy which is arranged on both sides of the raft and which is adapted to be automatically erected by means of elements attached to the floating body, the arrangement being such that when the walls of the floating body are stretched by the compressed air, the movement of the walls is transferred to the aforesaid elements which thereby erect the canopies on both sides of the raft.

United States Patent [1 1 3,843,983 Tangen Oct. 29, 1974 ARRANGEMENT RELATED TO 3,123,843 3/l964 Tangcn 9/11 R INFLATABLE LIFE RAFTS 3,222,700 12/1965 Smith 9/ll A [75] Inventor: Walter Tangen, Otto Ruges Vei,

Norway [73] Assignee: Gewako S.A., Luxembourg,

Luxembourg [22] Filed: Sept. 7, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 286,942

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 28, 1972 Norway 2323/72 [52] US. Cl 9/2 A [51] Int. Cl B63b 7/00 [58] Field of Search 9/2 A, 2 C, 2 F, 11 A, 9/11 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,764,766 l0/l956 Boyle et al 9/ll A 2,804,633 9/l957 Taylor et al. 9/1 I A f f 9 z 4 Primary Examiner-Duane A. Rcger Assistant Examiner-Charles E. Frankfort Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Watson, Cole, (irindlc & Watson [57] ABSTRACT A life raft of the inflatable type comprising a circular shaped floating body of elastic material which may be inflated by a source of compressed air and in which a floor of elastic material is stretched over the inner opening of the circular body. The raft is provided with a canopy which is arranged on both sides of the raft and which is adapted to be automatically erected by means of elements attached to the floating body, the arrangement being such that when the walls of the floating body are stretched by the compressed air, the movement of the walls is transferred to the aforesaid elements which thereby erect the canopies on both sides of the raft.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures f 7 9 2: r i

ARRANGEMENT RELATED TO INFLATABLE The invention relates to inflatable life rafts of the kind which comprise a normally circular shaped body of elastic canvas constructed as one or several tubeshaped ducts which are inflatable, whereby the said body serves as a float for the life raft which is formed by stretching a floor constituted by a canvas, a net or the .like over the inner opening of the circular body.

The rescue-equipment requirements have in recent years been intensified to a considerable extent. it is now required among other things that life rafts shall be provided with a protection canopy for the shipwrecked crew, and that the canopy is to be self-erecting since the shipwrecked crew seldom have enough power to erect or rig such a canopy. Another requirement for life rafts is that they are to be double-sided, i.e., constructed such that they are identical on bothsides, and it is thus without significance which side is to face upwards when the raft is thrown into the water or is floating up form a sinking ship. This requirement is not difficult to meet for rafts of the rigid or semi-rigid type, wherein the float comprises air-filled containers, cork, foam plastic or other suitable floating material held together by means of a rigid framework or by the assemblage. Such rafts have a rigidity, and a stability which makes possible an arrangement of self-erecting spring hoops or the like for the rigging of canopies on both sides of the raft. The canopy above the water then serves as protection for the shipwrecked crew, while the canopy under water constitutes an efficient stabilizer and a sea anchor.

"The above requirements cannot be fulfilled for the inflateable rafts which in an emergency position on board normally are kept in protective containers or bags'in rolled-up condition, whereby they occupy a minimum of space. Admittedly inflatable rafts have been constructed having automatically erected canopy by providing the canopy canvas with air-tight tubes or attached air tubes or ducts, which are connected to the inside of the inflatable raftbody. When compressed air is supplied to the body, such ducts will thus also be supplied with compressed air, whereby they stretch out and boom the canopy canvas up. However, such selferecting canopies cannot be arranged on both sides. The air in the ducts of the canopy lying under the surface would make the previously easily floating raft struggle with it in a way which would render it more or less useless. The inflatable rafts have therefore until now been provided with a canopy on one side, whereas it has been necessary to place them on the surface of the sea with the right side up. If this action is unsuccessful, or wind and sea throw the raft around before the crew comes on board and forms a ballast, it is according to experience extremely difficult to turn such a raft into the correct upright position. It requires very good swimmers and great skill in order to succeed. In addition, the ships crew have no opportunity to train themselves with such rafts. The rafts are kept in closed containers, and these are sealed by the marine survey as a security for the raft being in order and packed according to the regulations.

It is the object of the invention to provide a raft of the above-mentioned inflatable type but which eliminates the drawbacks which have been indicated with regard to the other embodiments. This is achieved according to the invention by arranging the raft as stated in the appended claims.

To provide a better understanding of the invention it shall now be described in connection with an example of an embodiment which is shown schematically on the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a raft according to the invention in its inflated condition and seen in the cross-sectional view,

and

PK]. 2 shows the raft as seen from the side.

The circular floating body is generally indicated by l, and is in the chosen example made of two jointed, encircling tubes or ducts l, l" of elastic material, e.g., plastic canvas. These are connected to the flask 7 with compressed air by means of tubes (not shown) and are in a known manner automatically inflated when the raft is launched.

A floor 8 made of air-filled ducts is arranged across the inside of the floating body. The floor 8 is not directly fastened to the floating body I but is hanging in it such that it remains hanging at the level of the lower part of the floating body, i.e., substantially under the horizontal plane of symmetry or midpoint. Regardless of the side of the raft which faces upwardly, the floor will hence be hanging as shown in FIG. 1, and the floating body 1 forms a protective wall which is generally speaking projecting above said floor. This low position of the floor, which indeed carries the weight of the shipwrecked crew, will at the same time give the raft very good stability. According to the invention it is proposed that the suspension be made by a watertight canvas 9 which extends about the full inside of the floating body to thereby effect a watertight, closed-off compartment for the shipwrecked crew.

A covering canopy ll, 11 is arranged on both sides of the raft. The canopy is in the example shown carried by arms or hoops 6, 6 of a stiff material. The lower ends of the arms 6 are connected to the floating body by attachment to reinforced sections 6". These are also elastic but with such an adjustment rigidity that, when the floating body 1 is inflated, the arms 6 will follow the stretching movement of the wall of the floating body and thus rise to a substantially vertical position, as shown in the drawings. When the raft is in a noninflated condition the arms 6 will on the other hand lie turned down to a horizontal position, and the canopy 11, ll lies folded up over them as well as over the folded-up raft. When the floor 8 at the same time is without air in its ducts, the complete raft may constitute a flat package where the only rigid parts, the arms 6 or the hoops 6, 6' lie pushed into each other on both sides of the fixed equipment which is attached to the floor 8. ln

I addition to flask 7 filled with compressed air, the equipment in the example shown comprises a centrally arranged, watertight container 4 with lids 4' on both sides. This container contains emergency foodsupplies, signal equipment, medicines etc., and the usual equipment for lifeboats and rafts.

in the drawings is also indicated a small manually driven pump 3, e.g., of the bellows type, which by tube connections 12 can convey seawater up to a spraying jet in order to spray the canopy canvas with water for cooling of the inside of the canopy if the shipwreck oc curs, for example, in tropical waters.

Further shown are rigid supporting rods 10 which, in a stowage position of the raft, lie inside the package in its longitudinal direction but which, when the canopies are inflated and the is on board, may be rigged for lifting of the mid-section of the ceiling of the canopy and thus provide better height of the dip inside the raft as well as good run-off of rain or head water. When the rods are not used, the roof of the canopy will hang down as shown by phantom lines in FIG. 1 and may then serve for the collection of rainwater.

The raft is equipped with normal grab-lines 5. It also has the standard radar-refelctor and reflecting-tape. The canopy canvas is given an easily observable color, preferably a fluorizing one.

The expression circular floating body as used in the present disclosure is not restricted to any particular ring form or circular shape, since the horizontal planprofile may extend from square to polygonal, oval or round. This floating body may likewise be comprised of an arbitrary number of cylindrical tubes or ducts of elastic material, and these may possibly be divided into a suitable number of chambers.

It should be noted that the elements disclosed herein as being attached to the floating body need not necessarily comprise armed and/or hoops, but may also comprise flexible couplings such as Nurnberg scissors, telescopic tubes or other constructions which serve the same object as the invention.

As will be understood from the above description a raft of the elastic inflatable type will have a safe stability before the shipwrecked crew comes on board and forms a ballast. This is achieved in that the canopies are raised by means which instead of buoyancy have a downward acting force. in addition, the arrangement of the raft floor 8 is such that it automatically assumes a low position and, since the floor carries the fixed installations such as air-flask, emergency container etc., the stability will be further ensured.

I claim:

1. An inflatable life raft arrangement comprising, a circular-shaped floating body of elastic material capable of being inflated from a source of compressed air, a floor of elastic material extending within the inner opening of said circular body, first and second canopies secured along opposite sides of said floating body, elongated rigid elements fixedly attached to the outer wall of said body at said opposite sides thereof beneath said canopies, each of said elements being attached at one end thereof outboard of the vertical centerline of said body, whereby said elements and said canopies collapse inwardly of said body upon deflation thereof, and whereby said canopies are erected on both said sides of said body upon inflation thereof as each of said rigid elements are moved from the inwardly collapsed position to a position slanting slightly inwardly of said body from said vertical centerline.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising rigid and elongated support rods fixedly attached to said outer wall of said body at one side thereof beneath said one canopy, each of said rods being attached at one end thereof inwardly of said elements.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the floor of the raft supports an air-flask, an emergency container and other equipment, and is suspended within the circular shaped floating body by means of a watertight, encircling canvas member whereby said canvas member remains hanging at a level substantially below the horizontal mid-plane of the raft regardless of which side of the raft faces upwardly.

4. An arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the floor comprises air-filled ducts which are inflated together with the raft. 

1. An inflatable life raft arrangement comprising, a circularshaped floating body of elastic material capable of being inflated from a source of compressed air, a floor of elastic material extending within the inner opening of said circular body, first and second canopies secured along opposite sides of said floating body, elongated rigid elements fixedly attached to the outer wall of said body at said opposite sides thereof beneath said canopies, each of said elements being attached at one end thereof outboard of the vertical centerline of said body, whereby said elements and said canopies collapse inwardly of said body upon deflation thereof, and whereby said canopies are erected on both said sides of said body upon inflation thereof as each of said rigid elements are moved from the inwardly collapsed position to a position slanting slightly inwardly of said body from said vertical centerline.
 2. The arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising rigid and elongated support rods fixedly attached to said outer wall of said body at one side thereof beneath said one canopy, each of said rods being attached at one end thereof inwardly of said elements.
 3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the floor of the raft supports an air-flask, an emergency container and other equipment, and is suspended within the circular shaped floating body by means of a watertight, encircling canvas member whereby said canvas member remains hanging at a level substantially below the horizontal mid-plane of the raft regardless of which side of the raft faces upwardly.
 4. An arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the floor comprises air-filled ducts which are inflated together with the raft. 